Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from the comeback win over UCLA

Michigan basketball rallied from 15 points down to beat UCLA Saturday. Here are three takeaways from the Wolverines biggest win of the season so far.

Trailing by 15 points and shooting around 30 percent from the free throw line, nothing seemed to be going right for Michigan basketball against UCLA. But one thing about the Wolverines under John Beilein — they don’t quit. Ever.

And Saturday against the Bruins, that spirit and determination allowed Michigan basketball to storm back for a 78-69 overtime win. Mental toughness was part of it, but so was the excellent play of guys like Charles Matthews, Moe Wagner and Zavier Simpson, who literally willed the Wolverines to their biggest win of the season.

Down by 15 points early in the second half, the slumbering Wolverines finally woke up. A 3-pointer by Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and a dunk by Wager trimmed the lead to four. A jumper by Aaron Holiday pushed the UCLA lead back to six, but two 3-pointers by Wagner, along with an Eli Brooks layup in between, got Michigan within two, 60-58 with 4:06 left.

Michigan still couldn’t quite tie it, but a jumper by Simpson with around two minutes left kept the Wolverines within two. And after a stop, Michigan would look to tie, when Simpson committed a double dribble. A turnover that at the time, appeared to have cost Michigan a shot to win.

But Simpson responded like a champion. With UM down three, he stole the ball and scored, trimming the UCLA advantage to one with 18 seconds left. After a made three throw, Brooks got to the line at the other end and sank two clutch free throws to send the game to overtime tied at 65-65.

After winning the tap in overtime, Simpson buried a 3-pointer to put Michigan basketball in front. Matthews then hit from deep in the corner to extend the lead to six. He would later hit a fadeaway jumper that pushed it to eight and that point, the game was over. UM outscored the Bruins 13-4 in the extra frame.

Wagner scored 23 points to lead the Wolverines, but Matthews wasn’t far behind with 20 points and eight boards. Simpson also contributed with 15 points and four steals. Simpson, Wagner and Matthews were a combined 24-of-36 from the floor, the rest of the Wolverines were 6-of-28.

There is no question, beating the previously 7-1 Bruins was the biggest win of the year for Michigan and here are three takeaways.